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Visit San Diego and you'll notice right away that the vast Pacific Ocean beckons at the city's shoreline. With varying hues of blue, the water is world-famous as a place for surfing and sunning. But it's also brimming with sea life, and one of the best ways to get a close-up look at amazing creatures including whales, dolphins and sea lions, is to take a San Diego nature cruise.

San Diego Harbor Excursion

Plan to spend about five hours on this guided nature tour that will take you outside San Diego Bay and into deeper ocean waters. As a narrator explains the nearby Islas Coronados, a chain of four islands belonging to Mexico a few miles off Baja California, you'll catch glimpses of dolphins and whales. You will also likely come across harbor seals and dozens of different types of sea birds will fly by. A highlight will be seeing the elephant seal rookery--the term for their nesting area. Watching the sea lions is mesmerizing, no matter what they're doing. The boats, which run from December to June, are large and include indoor and outdoor seating areas. San Diego Harbor Excursion 1050 N. Harbor Drive San Diego, California 92101 619-234-4111 http://www.flagshipsd.com/

Dennis Connor's America's Cup Experience

A four-time America's Cup-winner, skipper Dennis Conner now runs a company that offers boating excursions including a trip called: "Whale Watching Experience." The four-hour trip, on the elegant 139-foot sailing yacht America will take you out to the Pacific Ocean during the whale migration from late December through April. You should get a close look at the 28,000 California Gray Whales that travel from Alaska through San Diego to Baja California in large pods seeking warmer waters. Not only will you be able to see sea creatures, you'll be able to help man the sails. The company offers a "whale sighting guarantee" and a "no seasickness guarantee." The Maritime Museum of San Diego 1492 N. Harbor Drive ?San Diego, California 92101 800-644-3454? Stars-stripes.com

Whale & Dolphin Watching Adventure

On this three-hour sailing cruise, you'll see all sorts of marine life, including four types of dolphin: Mola Mola (sun fish), pelicans, gulls, herons and several different types of whales, including orcas, blue whales and humpback whales. In addition, as you head out to sea on the Adventure Hornblower boat, you'll have a perfect viewpoint for all the famous and historic sights of the San Diego Bay, including the Navy submarine base, the Point Loma Light House and Cabrillo National Monument, high on a hill overlooking the city. A full snack bar on board offers beverages for adults and kids. Indoor seating offers a chance to escape harsh outdoor conditions. Hornblower Ticket Booth 1066 N. Harbor Drive San Diego, California 92101 619-686-8700 Hornblower.com

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Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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About the Author

Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Ann Oldenburg has been a reporter/editor/author since 1990. She has written for publications including "The Washington Post," "USA TODAY" and "TV Guide." She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Florida.